Town, Eversource, arborists plant trees in Sandwich park

Friday

SANDWICH — Just in time to celebrate Arbor Day today, electric utility officials, the Sandwich Department of Public Works and landscapers on Thursday planted 13 trees across the street from Town Hall.

The planting occurred in the same location where town officials this week gave the go-ahead to improvements at a small park known until now as much for its utility as its aesthetic appeal.

See more photos from Thursday's planting

“This is a great example of the town and businesses coming together,” said Selectman Ralph Vitacco during the board’s regular meeting Thursday, adding that it would be a “lasting monument of what it means to live in Sandwich.”

On Wednesday, the Old King’s Highway Historic District Committee unanimously approved a plan to beautify the park near the Dexter Grist Mill, as did selectmen on Thursday.

Cindy Russell, representing the Sandwich 375th Committee, said Wednesday that the committee will add park benches, add plantings and install historic plaques with money left over from the celebration of the town's 375th anniversary, which took place in 2014. The plaques, which will face into the park, will provide visitors with information about Town Hall, First Church, Dexter Grist Mill and Mill Creek.

“Some people call it the restroom park, but we’re hoping to change that by calling it the Mill Creek Park,” Russell said Wednesday.

On Thursday, selectmen said they would revisit naming the park at a later date

Earlier this week, Eversource Energy removed some trees that were creating a hazard for electric lines in the area of the park, and on Thursday, the company’s arborists, along with workers from Hamilton Trees, planted 13 trees — including stewartia, Yoshino cherry, native tupelo and one dawn redwood — in their place, according to Eversource spokesman Michael Durand.

“Projects like this one are part of our overall effort to reduce tree-related power outages and improve electric service reliability while at the same time respecting their environmental and aesthetic benefits,” Durand said.

In the fall the company worked together with Sandwich Tree Warden Justin O’Connor to identify hazardous trees, Durand said.

Although large projects like the one in Sandwich aren’t always practical, the company regularly tries “to identify public areas where we can reinforce our philosophy of planting the right tree in the right place,” Durand said.

The funding for the company’s vegetative management program comes from the same pool as funds for upgrading power lines and maintaining transformers, he said.

“We estimate around $10,000 for cost, including removal of the old trees and the planting we do today,” he said about the company's work at the park in Sandwich, adding that the company’s budget for vegetative management programs across the state is $23 million this year.